The present invention relates to an absorbent article which has a front part, a rear part and an intermediate crotch part, such as a diaper, an incontinence guard or like article, which includes an absorbent body, a bottom sheet comprised of liquid-impermeable material and joined to the absorbent body, and a top sheet which over a large part of its surface is free from connection with the absorbent body, i.e. not directly joined thereto, and which when the article is worn lies proximal to the wearer's skin, said top sheet including an elongated opening which extends from the rear article part into the crotch part, and elastic devices which are attached to the top sheet in a stretched state and which when contracting from their stretched state cause that part of the top sheet which is not joined to the absorbent body to be distanced from the absorbent body.
Diapers which are provided with an opening in the top sheet are known from AU-A-45217/85, EP-A2-0,357,298 and EP-A2-0,486,006 and are intended to avoid irritation of the wearer's skin as a result of excrement coming into contact with the skin. According to these publications, this is achieved because the absorbent body is brought to a basinlike shape as the elastic devices provided in the top sheet contract, at the same time as the top sheet is therewith distanced from the bottom of the basin to form a basin lid or cover which includes an opening. One problem with diapers of this kind is that the opening provided in the top sheet must be sufficiently large and so positioned as to ensure that excrement will fall safely from the wearer down onto the absorbent body. Any excrement that lands on the top sheet is highly liable to result in leakage and irritation of the skin. It has also been found that the skin is much more sensitive to a mixture of urine and faeces, and consequently it is important to minimize the risk of such a mixture coming into contact with the wearer's skin while the article is worn. When urine and faeces mix, ammonia is formed which leads to an increase in pH and also in greater activity of the faecal enzymes.